Local Leaders

The following local and state elected officials have stepped up to endorse the Congressional Resolution that lays out our 10 Principles. We look forward to adding more names to this list of jobs and infrastructure leaders.

Statements of Support

Local leaders know firsthand the importance of good jobs and infrastructure. Scroll through and hear from these elected officials about the positive effects of high-bar principles at the city and state level.

Ted Terry, Mayor, Clarkston, GA:

"Proper investment in infrastructure could have an enormous impact for small cities like Clarkston, who typically have very little in annual capital improvement project funds. This infrastructure plan modernizes and improves our transportation, schools, water and more while creating jobs and avoiding privatization which could restrict access to public spaces for some residents. I urge Congress to support this plan as it would benefit everyone by prioritizing long-term investment in jobs and resources while improving the quality of life of everyday residents, as opposed to just benefitting large corporations."

Chris Larson, State Senator, WI-4:

"Quality of life and access to safe drinking water should not be determined by your zip code. We know that water from lead pipes can poison our children. Ignoring the urgent need to upgrade our dangerous, aging infrastructure will lead to greater costs in the future and continues to threaten our health and safety today. Additionally, the work that needs to be done in our community should be done by the folks that live in our community. Unfortunately, in Wisconsin, the elimination of worker protections, such as project labor agreements, may lead to millions of dollars funneling out of our state and into the hands of wealthy out-of-state contractors. This directly takes living wage jobs away from hard-working Wisconsin families."

Chris Lee, State Representative, HI-2:

“Hawaii has hundreds of miles of dilapidated roads, dozens of bridges far beyond their intended lifespan, and nearly a billion dollars of deferred maintenance in public schools and universities that must be addressed. Our economy and way of life are sustainable only with strong support for the common infrastructure that makes living here possible.”

Brad Lander, Councilmember, New York City, NY:

"Our public infrastructure is quite literally what holds New York City together, so its deterioration could tear us apart. Subway delays, caused by decades of deferred maintenance, have doubled in the past five years. We saw the devastation when Hurricane Sandy hit us, and we know the seas are rising. We have the opportunity to build a sustainable, modern, resilient city -- and to create hundreds of thousands of good jobs -- but only if we invest in this bold infrastructure plan. Right now."

Aaron Regunberg, State Representative RI-4:

“Every day in Rhode Island, students, teachers and families walk into school buildings that are literally falling apart around them. When it rains, the elementary school in my neighborhood puts out dozens of buckets in the halls and classrooms to catch water that streams through the roof. One of our local high schools has an entire section closed off because of mold. These are the buildings we send our children into to learn! We desperately need federal funding to help rebuild our schools, and put Rhode Islanders to work in the process."

Will Guzzardi, State Representative, IL-4:

"Illinois is on the brink of an infrastructure crisis. We have tens of billions of dollars of deferred maintenance on our roads, bridges, rail crossings, and mass transit. Meanwhile, we have communities in our state facing staggering unemployment, and we're seeing the effects — both here in Chicago with rising violence, and in rural communities with increasing drug abuse and displacement. Now is the time for our state to make a massive investment in good jobs, to rebuild our infrastructure and to put people back to work."

Matt Lesser, State Representative, CT-100:

"The public is demanding immediate investment in infrastructure. When I talk to talented young people, they say that to stay in Connecticut they need a transportation system that works, quality housing young families can afford and a world class internet infrastructure. They'd even be willing to pay more to get it. And we need to make sure that infrastructure spending puts Connecticut residents to work, providing racial and gender equity, creating jobs pipelines and paying a prevailing wage to help folks get into the middle class."

Elizabeth Glidden, Council Vice President, Minneapolis, MN:

"We need significant public investment in our public goods, not privatization driven by profit motives rather than the common good. It’s past time for the federal government to put our public infrastructure on the priority list and meet the modern day needs of millions of Americans."

Eric Covey, Councilor, Winooski, VT:

"It is imperative that our members of Congress act to ensure that any jobs bill that's passed puts our communities first, and is rooted deeply in the principles of racial and gender equity in our workforce, strong environmental protections that preserve our land and water, and support for our workers and working families."

Molly Clifford, Councilmember, Rochester City, NY:

"Like so many other aging Rust Belt cities, Rochester's infrastructure needs are great and our unemployment rates are high, particularly in our minority communities. I'm enthusiastically supporting the Congressional Progressive Caucus' infrastructure plan because of its focus on racial and gender equity in job creation, worker protections, and keeping these jobs in the public sector where they belong."

Jared Evans, Councilmember, Indianapolis, IN:

"I represent neighborhoods of Indianapolis that are home to the Carrier and Rexnord factories that are shutting down and made national news last year. If we want to rebuild the middle class, we need smart and massive public infrastructure like what’s being proposed. This commitment to building green and resilient infrastructure will help create jobs, strengthen the local economy, and make our cities healthier."

Brian J. Cummins, Councilmember, Cleveland, OH:

“In Cleveland our need for investment in infrastructure is enormous. Our local revenues are just beginning to rebound from over a decade of recessionary conditions. Our roads, bridges and public transportation systems are in need of significant investment. Affordable and efficient public transport is needed to remain globally competitive and to meet the needs of our urban work force. These needs cannot be met by our local resources alone."

Helen Gym, Councilmember at-Large, Philadelphia, PA:

"We can and must build cities that work for all of us--not just the wealthy few. It’s time to invest serious resources in rebuilding our schools and technical education programs, in 21st century infrastructure that connects people through efficient rapid transit and functioning roads, and expands solar energy across all neighborhoods. This is how we'll make our air easier to breathe, reduce our carbon footprint, and create genuine opportunity."

Robin Kniech, Councilmember at-Large, Denver, CO:

"We need credible national investments to maintain current infrastructure and build for the future. But a comprehensive infrastructure package needs to go beyond building transit, roads, bridges and airports, it has to build a 21st century workforce in the process by allowing us to train workers who need jobs the most in safe and sustainable jobs with livable wages, and in ways that protect the environmental integrity of communities. That is the only way to use an infrastructure package to truly build our cities, and therefore our nation."